Filed under Duck + Game, Soups, Stocks + Sauces
The waiter looked at me funny when I asked for the duck carcass at Peking Duck House during dinner last week. I think he was surprised only because I wasn’t one of his regular customers asking for it. I’m sure they use the duck excess to make other dishes, but the way I see it, I should be able to take the carcass home myself if I paid $40 for their Peking duck.
At home, I was able to salvage a lot of meat from the carcass. I spent the rest of the rainy weekend making stock out of the bones. I made a very hearty soup out of the entire thing using rice vermicelli noodles, but feel free to use udon or soba; just cook according to package instructions. I was able to make several servings of soup with this recipe. I added smoked tofu in one, carrot tops and dried mushrooms in the other and homemade meatballs another time. It was the soup that kept on giving.
Ingredients:
For the duck stock:
1 duck carcass from your Peking Duck order, chopped in pieces so they fit in your pot
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery, chopped
2 scallions, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
1 bay leaf
salt
For the duck soup:
rice vermicelli
leftover duck meat
baby bok choy, chopped
1 bunch of scallions, thinly sliced
half a bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small knob of ginger, peeled, grated
fish sauce
light soy sauce
lime juice
1. Make duck stock like you make any stock. Store in plastic containers in the freezer until ready to use. Before eating the duck soup, heat the duck stock in a small pot. Add garlic, cilantro and ginger and let boil to absorb the flavors. Stir in the meat and the baby bok choy for a couple of minutes until the greens wilt.
2. Separately, boil some water to cook the noodles. If using rice vermicelli noodles, you only need to cook them for 15 seconds. Remove from boiling water and add to individual soup bowls before serving.
3. Ladle in flavored duck broth to bowls with noodles. Top with scallions. Drizzle with some soy sauce, fish sauce and lime juice to taste.
Related post/s:
Peking Duck House restaurant review from 2002
A version of this soup with somen noodles
Filed under Vegetables + Salads
It’s really not the time to be using the oven but when I saw beets in the supermarket, I all of a sudden had a craving. So off I went home after watching Julie & Julia with three gigantic beets and their greens stuffed but peeking from my tote bag.
Have I told you my Belize beet story? I’ll tell you again anyway. In 2003, the Dr. and I went to the Cayo District in Belize and stayed in Ian Anderson’s Caves Branch where we rented a jungle cabana with the shower pail outside. Buffet meals were included and when it was time to eat, you had to sit with other guests in the mess room and make new friends. The staff was announcing the menu for dinner and everyone was quiet and paying attention. The second beets were mentioned, the Dr. and I–and I’m not exaggerating here–simultaneously squealed, Yay! Beets! out of the blue. I don’t know–it just came out. We had a big laugh about it, but I don’t think we made friends that night.
At home, I readied a bath of water for the greens to easily clean the soil off. I prepared the beets for roasting and turned the A/C on high. I wore disposable gloves when I peeled them just so I don’t stain my hands. I dropped the first batch of dressing and broke a glass jar, so I had to do it again.
The hour-long roasting and the peeling with disposable gloves have always turned me off when cooking beets, but I also come from the school of if-you-work-for-it-it would-taste-better. This salad really did.
Ingredients:
3 large beets, tops chopped off with an inch of the stalk intact
beet tops, harder stalked removed, thoroughly washed, chopped in half to fit a pot
a dollop of mustard
balsamic vinegar
oil
salt
1. Wrap the beets in aluminum foil and roast in the oven for an hour or until done. Check for doneness using fork; it should give but not too easily. Remove from oven and place on a chopping block. Open the foil to let cool.
2. In the meantime, boil some water and prepare an bowl of water with ice cube in the sink. Add the beet greens to the boiling water and cook for about 30 seconds. Remove to the ice bath to stop cooking. Squeeze out excess water and chop in smaller chunks. Loosen to a salad bowl.
3. Make the dressing. In a small glass jar, combine the rest of the ingredients and shake to mix.
4. When beets are cool enough to handle, peel by hand. Chop beets in manageable pieces and toss with the beet tops. Drizzle with dressing.
Related post/s:
Try beets with a poached egg
No-stain golden beets
